US FDA Bans Red No. 3 in Candies and Beverages Due to Potential Cancer Risk

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has decided to ban the use of Red Dye No. 3, a synthetic colorant found in various foods and pharmaceuticals such as candy and jelly.

On the 15th (local time), the FDA stated, "We cannot approve additives that may cause cancer in humans or animals." This ban follows the FDA's 1990 prohibition of this dye in cosmetics after studies showed cancer occurrence in lab rats exposed to Red Dye No. 3. The FDA explained that the ban on Red Dye No. 3 is based on the "Delaney Clause," which prohibits additives in food and drugs that pose a cancer risk.

First approved for use in food in the U.S. in 1907, Red Dye No. 3 is used to give a bright cherry red color to foods such as candy, jelly, and beverages. According to an analysis by the health food application Gococo, this dye is commonly accessible, being used in 16% of chewing gum, 16% of candy, and 11% of cookies sold in the U.S.

The FDA plans to grant a grace period until January 15, 2027, for the food industry and until January 18, 2018, for the pharmaceutical industry. According to Bloomberg News, following the FDA announcement, there is a growing trend among U.S. companies to proactively stop using Red Dye No. 3. Europe, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand have already banned or restricted the use of Red Dye No. 3 in foods to certain limited categories.

Meanwhile, on the New York Stock Exchange, the FDA's announcement of the Red Dye No. 3 ban caused the stock prices of food companies General Mills and Abbott to close down by 0.80% and 1.18%, respectively. Bloomberg reported that "Red Dye No. 3 is used in General Mills' Betty Crocker Sprinkles (sugar decorations) and Abbott's strawberry-flavored Ensure (nutritional supplement drink)."

The New York Times (NYT) added that Robert Kennedy Jr., the nominee for Secretary of Health and Human Services, is a critic of artificial colorant use regulations. In an interview last year, he stated that the colorants in cereals are "actually poison for children."

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